What's out there...

My head jerks to the side in a sharp sweep of frantic movement—petrified by the shadowy mass menacingly hovering beside me. Unable to blink while my bulging eyes adjust, I watch numbly in horror as I try to focus on the unknown figure while they take a further unwanted step in my direction. As they walk beneath the moonlight, a suppressed whimper hastily escapes my lips when I come to realise the insidious appearing entity is only Ash. Feeling comforted by the welcoming revelation, I exhale loudly and allow the withheld air to rush from my lungs. With my muscles untensing, I briefly take note of the troubled expression worn upon my sibling’s face as he looks down towards me with a paramount of concern. With his head tilted to the side, Ash stands in silence, appearing at an utter loss of what to do while I gently quake from the fleeting adrenaline leaving my system. Unable to fathom any words just yet, my eyes flicker upwards before locking on to the soothing abyss while I await the sandman to release me from his paralysing hold.

Staring towards the illuminating beacon held within the sky, I gradually settle—embracing the graceful presence of the moon above me as it anchors me back to the present. Focussing on the radiating energy as it seeps down into the forest, I regulate my breathing in line with the cosmic waves that it creates. As I regain control over the once pouring nerves that flooded out from inside of me, the terror that had sparked within equally succumbs to defeat. Unwinding, I continue to remind myself that I’m safe and all that I had just seen was nothing more than the manifest of a horrible dream, the lingering fragments of memories from the past. With my pulse returning to normal, I take a moment to gather myself in recollection. Raising my hand, I wipe away the mist of sweat dampening my forehead before welcoming the brisk flush of the bitter night air that crashes against it, leaning into the gentle breeze.

Growing unnerved by the silence enclosing around us, Ash nudges my shoulder while whining with upset. Appearing visibly distraught after witnessing what had happened while I slept, his sympathetic stare refuses to break away from me while he awaits a sign of assurance that I’m okay. Lifting a shaky arm, I reach out and place my hand on his back while he takes a seat at my side. Towering above me, Ash shoots me a side-eyed stare—his face still baring an unbound worry that refuses to budge, appearing anxious while he patiently waits for me to talk.

“I’m alright, Ash. It was just another bad dream, that’s all,” I whisper while trying to brush the traumatic ordeal off, watching as he tilts his head in the opposite direction while whining softly, yet again, “-really, it’s fine. It was no different from the rest, don’t worry about it,” I insist.

With solace-cast eyes, Ash prods my shoulder with his nose once more—attempting to initiate the nightly ritual that we had somehow fallen into over time, prompting me to divulge what I had experienced during my sleep. Ever since we escaped the Crescent City, the nightmares that quickly followed in retaliation to my departure seemed to visit me on most torturous nights—reminding me of my unrelenting struggle during the last two weeks of my stay within the Crescent City’s walls, a time that I’d much prefer to forget. Lifting myself up, I shuffle backwards and rest my head against the perishing trunk; embracing the rough texture on my back through the tears of my ripped and over-worn shirt. 

Casting a glance around the camp in curiosity, my cheeks flush warm from a fierce burn of embarrassment rising inside of me when I unthinkingly cup my face and peek through my fingers—acting like a child, hoping no one else had witnessed my minor episode this time. As my stare passes over the still, undisturbed campsite, a wave of relief crashes over me. Dropping my hands, I silently thank the Moon Goddess that the rest of the camp remains succumbed to their peaceful slumbers. Unsatisfied with my vacant response, Ash lays down beside me while his crushing weight almost causes me to topple over. Clumsily flopping into me, he lands with a heavy thud—helping to put a small grin on my face from his unintentional silliness. After settling back down, Ash casts me one last worried glare from over his shoulder, offering to listen in case I had changed my mind.

“Honestly Ash, I’m fine. I swear,” I trail off; rubbing my eyes as I fake a stifled yawn,”-anyway, we should get back to sleep, it’s late. We’ll feel worse than death in the morning if we don’t, try to get some rest,” I light-heartedly tease; allowing a shard of dark humour to slip in before turning my head to the side, hoping this would bring his inquisitiveness to an end.

Not pushing the matter any further, Ash reluctantly caves in and rests his head on the ground between his dirtied ivory paws—settling himself back down for the night. With his ears slightly twitching, he soon enough drifts back into unconsciousness while his face still wears the telltale signs of strain caused by the journey that we faced earlier today. Within a few moments, a commencement of soft symphonies fills the still air, created by the melody of my brother’s tuneful whistling snores. With the night continuing into the early hours, I struggle to return to sleep; desperate to rest, but at the same time, feeling far too petrified to even give it another try. Distracting myself from the long night ahead, I allow my train of thought to wonder towards the unknown of our imminent arrival in the great Luna City, swiftly getting swept up within my curious mind.

Pondering over what awaits us on the other end of the forest and through the clearing, I allow images of tall, luxurious skyscrapers and grand houses to consume my thoughts—leaving me to revel in the wonder of what it’ll be like to see it all in person, curious to see if the place is truly as magnificent as what they say. Marvelling over the conjured scenes scorching into my mind's view, my racing attention jumps lanes and changes course, switching its focus to the abundance of culture that the place holds—acknowledging that its foundations are built on what had once been known as the territory of the Blue Moon pack, the land of the first wolves. With a shiver of excitement tracing down my spine, I muffle an untamed giddy chuckle; careful not to disturb the others when I realise that this is the first time I’ve felt genuinely excited about this whole idea, actually feeling hopeful in finding out what it is exactly that Luna City has to offer.  

Passing my gaze over Lillie and Fara while they sleep soundly, a humoured grin tugs at my face while the youngster's mouth hangs wide open, allowing a slow stream of dribble to fall onto Lilies jumper while she cuddles into her older sister tightly. With Lillie’s arms wrapped around Fara fiercely, she keeps her in a protective hold, pulling her closer whenever the youngster occasionally tries to turn or wiggle free. Blissfully unaware of her older sister’s relentlessness to let go, Fara releases the occasional murmur in protest while remaining totally submerged in her precious dreams. As Lillie cradles her sister, I notice how frail young Fara has grown to look compared to when we had first met her—realising how much this forest has changed her.

An overpowering sense of respect crashes inside while I remember Lillie telling Ash and me of how she had taken Fara from our city before the attack had even commenced—forcibly sent away by her parents after being forewarned of the potential threat that their pack’s elder had sensed. Her parents had promised to meet them once it was safe, assuring them that they would bring them back home when the infiltrators had been dealt with, but of course, just as the rest, they never made it. Before I can stop myself, a hot stream of tears run down my cheeks when I allow the memories of my own childhood to come back and momentarily taunt me—leaving my thoughts to spiral as I question what it would have felt like to have loving parents, wishing for a mother and father like the girls’ own. Shaking off my turmoil, I rub my eyes while sniffling gently; reminding myself of how far I’ve come since back then when I realise my hand has made its way to the side of my neck, tracing the distinct and hideous scar branding my skin in silent acknowledgement.  

Unable to reel any further in my brewing self-pity, I’m torn away from my thoughts and coldly startled to my core in a flashing moment. Lunging forward, my head convulses with painful throbs when the clear outcry of my wolf’s howl erupts from deep within it, fuelled by a panic-driven frenzy. With her voice ringing like an alarm bell, confusion sweeps through me when I notice that this is the clearest she has ever made herself known throughout the passing years. With her tone feeling somewhat familiar, the penny drops within my head when I slowly put together the pieces. Was that actually her growling earlier on in my dream? Did she wake me up from that nightmare? Is that even possible?

With no time to question the unknown, a blood-curdling howl to match my wolf’s calls out from deep within the forest like a deafening siren; its force bouncing off the wooden giants until it reaches the terror-stricken camp, causing them to awaken from fright. Upon hearing the distressed howl, Ash sits bolt upright; struggling to conceal his dazed worry while his head swings from side to side, thrashing around defensively as he tries to locate the direction of the signal. While an unexplainable foreboding of unease washes over me, I notice the air’s temperature around us begin to drop chillingly—causing the finest of hairs to rise on the back of my neck while puffs of steam replace my jagged breaths.

“What the hell was that about?“ Lillie stutters as she sits up stiffly, her voice numb with fear while she clings onto Fara.

I gawp at Lillie in disbelief while nervously shaking my head, unsure of what to say when another bellowing howl calls out from within the forest but, this time, sounding much closer than the last. With our eyes snapping wildly towards the harrowing warning, every molecule held within my body ignites—urging me to run. Leaping to my feet, I feel myself descending into a complete state of panic. With my legs trembling beneath me as if they were made from water, I sway from my fast movement. Feeling lightheaded after standing up far too quickly, I stumble backwards while almost falling back down to where I had only just rested. Reaching out, I manage to catch myself with my hands; clasping onto the fallen tree that lies behind me while scratching my palms in the process. Glancing around as I wait for my balance to return, I watch on in horror as a stomach-churning wave of déjà vu washes over me while the camp explodes into a chaotic buzz of hysteria.

Swiftly rummaging around, the majority of those within the camp scramble to pack away their belongings while other members shift without a second thought—choosing to give their possessions no further thought and instead, stand ready, preparing for whatever is coming our way. After a handful of daunting seconds pass by, the patrolling wolves return in a blundering scramble while wearing a matching set of unsettling expressions on each of their faces. Crashing into the camp, the terror-stricken pair dig their claws into the ground; dredging up the dirt beneath them before arriving at an abrupt stop. Focussing on the shuddering wolves, the camp hustles around the duo and forms a swarm—silently awaiting an explanation for the deathly calls they had heard, warning of imminent danger. Rushing towards his panting friends, Finn approaches in a tired daze while making his way through the wall of bodies, his voice quaking as he ushers the camp to move aside and let him by.

“What happened?” Finn’s face drains with colour the very moment he arrives before them, looking down towards Ronnie and Hooper; quickly noticing the extent of their dismay and reacting nervously. 

Ronnie’s haunted eyes flicker up towards his friend while he takes a handful of labouring breaths; his nostrils flaring in and out rapidly as his face remains engulfed with fear. Speaking with Ronnie through their mind-link, Finn flinches uncomfortably in response to whatever he was just told. Barely capable of moving, Finn drags his feet while turning to face the crowd, remaining momentarily stunned; mute with horror. Stammering on his own words, an audible babble escapes Finn’s gawping mouth while he struggles to try to conjure up what it is that he should say.

“We-“ Finn jitters, forcing himself to clear his throat after struggling to speak up, “-we’ve got to go,” he finally spits out; dredging the remaining words to part from his lips while the muscles on his exposed neck seize tensely, “-there’s something out there,” his once tired voice grows into a bellow as his words lace with a state of urgency; edged in an unretained fear that he cannot hide.

“What do you mean that there’s something out there?” Rose’s fatigue-induced voice warily calls out while she approaches the gathering, her shaking arms folding across her chest, “Mind defining what that something is, boy? We deserve to know what we’re running from. Don’t you think?”

“Is it another rogue pack?” Lillie raises her voice above the rowdy crowd, rocking a weeping Fara within her arms.

As a gust of whispers breaks out amongst the others, their attention shortly returns to the silent leaders, all hoping for an answer as their raised questions remain open. With Finn standing in front of us speechless, appearing at a loss for how he should respond, he clenches his jittering hands into fists in a feeble attempt to suppress his tremorous shakes. Growing impatient with the camp’s persistent dithering, Ronnie lets out a low snarl while baring his gritted teeth—his vicious tone circulating effortlessly, twisting the crowd’s inquisitive whispers into ushered whimpers­. What the hell is Ronnie so scared of?

“They’re not exactly sure, but they don’t think its wolves-” Finn shakingly admits while allowing his fidgeting gaze to drop while he bows his head, unable to meet the crowd’s desperate stares, “-anyway,” he runs an unsteady hand through his matted hair stressfully, “-there’s no time for this,” he looks up while darting a commanding glare towards the gathering, “-we need to go, and we need to go now,” he roars, just about conjuring up enough bravery to bark the order, “-so, move it.”

As Finn’s demeanour switches, the crowd quickly picks up on the change and disbands into a scramble, preparing for our rushed departure. With no hesitation, I reach down and grab my crumpled coat before sliding my goosebump covered arms into the cold, scratchy material. With my heart thundering within my chest, a shiver runs throughout my body when the unexplainable knowing of being watched dawns upon me. As my eyes search suspiciously, I slowly notice the faint sounds of snapping twigs and rustling leaves in the near distance. While my stomach clenches tightly with dread, my lips part in silent horror as I spin around frantically, turning to face the never-ending darkened forest surrounding me. As the scuffling commotion enclosing around us grows louder, the camp becomes just as aware of the sinister presence as I—commenting on the icy chill settling in, all eager to leave on the raised order of Ronnie.

Panicking cries call out amongst our own as the young travellers give in to their sweeping terror, leaving the adults to usher them down. With the poor things not fully understanding what’s going on, we all defensively gather closely together, acting out our basic instinct of protecting our own while we ready to flee. As my ears descend into a pitch of a constant ringing, I notice the adrenaline that had only flooded my body earlier on swiftly seep its way back in like a tidal wave—intense and heightened, helping to place me into a readied state of flow for what is to come. Turning to Lillie, I find myself surprised to see that she has already shifted into her wolf form, unaware she had even done so at my side while her worn clothes flitter to the floor in tatters. While lowering her back, she leans down, allowing a trembling Fara to climb on in a frantic panic. As Fara’s arms clasp onto Lillie’s neck, she buries her head into the fur of her sister's back—hiding her eyes while her uncontrollable whimpers reduce to barely that of a timid murmur. 

Nodding to Ash, Lillie lets him know she’s ready. Following Lillie’s lead, he stands at her side while his oddly larger frame doubles her own. As Ash’s tail points out rigidly, a row of spiked fur lines his spine; bristling upwards as he takes a stiffening defensive stance. He points his ears forward; listening cautiously to the threat rapidly approaching, unable to disengage from the threat almost surrounding us. Allowing a low, menacing growl to rise from his throat, Ash briefly turns his head to nudge my hand. Urging me to hurry, I snatch my bag away from the ground before flinging it over my shoulder in a rush. As I turn back to Ash, he’s already lowered down—allowing me to climb on. As I steady myself, I hold on tightly while Ash gracefully raises himself away from the ground, awaiting me to settle before joining the restless crowd with Lillie and Fara waking close by, remaining at our side. 

“Stay close,” I look over towards a troubled Lillie, to which she glances up and nods with affirmation. 

Ensuring we are all ready, Ronnie runs a swift lap around the gathering, checking for no stragglers unaccounted for. With everyone present and rearing to leave, Ronnie spins around with his comrades at his side and releases a low howl—telling us it’s time to go. Sprinting off, the trio leave only that of a flashing image of disappearing fur in their places while the sound of thudding paws echoes amongst the nearing trees from each stride they take. With no time to waste, the rest of us follow behind in pursuit, all feeling desperate to leave the forest along with whatever is lurking within it.

As we set off, I feel the instant weight of the crashing air hurtle against me and attempt to drag my body backwards, colliding against the hasty rush of Ash’s forceful speed. Struggling to take a breath as it becomes close to impossible to take one in, I tuck my head down and tighten my hold around Ash’s neck while gasping helplessly. Clinging on to my sibling with all my might, I withhold the rising bile creeping up my throat from my lurching stomach—feeling unsettled by the flashing movements while we glide between the obstructing trees and over the hidden ledges scattered around. Moving like a sea of force, the camp travel as a compact unit throughout the remaining stretch of forestry stood before us. With everyone’s focus kept ahead, fear continues to loom over the camp while the creeping rustling proceeds to keep up not far behind us—almost as if we were the prey in a cruel undergoing hunt.

While the camp pushes on for what soon felt to be that of a lifetime, a pang of relief swiftly courses amongst us when we grow aware of the distinct clearing coming up just ahead, thankful to see the Luna City’s lights breaking out at the forestry line. Trying not to let my guard falter just yet, I ignore the growing ache rushing across my forehead while my ears sting bitterly, keeping my head tucked down and tightening my grip even more than it was before. Closing my eyes, I can’t help but notice how the entire atmosphere has seemed to have fermented in the passing minutes—feeling menacing and empty, angry yet indescribable. Pointing to our pursuer as being something entirely unknown.

Getting closer to the looming sign of safety waiting on the horizon, the gaining threat remains close at our heels, not relieving us of any danger no matter how hard we try. Turning my head, I can’t help but allow my curiosity to get the better of me when I cast a nervous glance into the forest—not too sure if I really want to glimpse whatever it is that is stalking us, but looking nevertheless, all the same. Staring through the burning scorch engulfing my eyes, I glare on despite the blistering air battering them when my wolf releases another clear howl to rage unignorably from within my head. While the sound of her disgust bounces chaotically within the crevice of my skull, my eyes magnetically snap towards to shadows behind us before latching onto a dark racing figure, slowly catching up to our side.

A growing whistle accompanies the mysterious being's nimble movements as they close in, catching the attention of some of the other wolves just like they did my own. Holding onto Ash, I can’t believe my eyes when I slowly make out the haunting figure chasing us in determined pursuit. As the unknown creature gallops forward, it bends over in an unnatural hunch, appearing lanky and crooked, while leering forward with what can only be described as ill-intent. Looking far too tall for it to be human or even a wolf, my heart twists with fright while my head flits through all the possibilities of what it could be—what they could be, I note, catching sight of more swarm at its side. I mean, they couldn’t be what I think they are, right? They don’t exist anymore. Right?

As the camp continues to frantically run on while following the lead of Ronnie, we’re all broken from our focus as a pitiful yelp is heard calling out from behind us. Without looking back, Ash doesn’t break his speed and proceeds to sprint ahead, almost as if he were choosing to ignore our orders from earlier. Looking to my side, I can’t help but feel panic-stricken while my eyes search for a glimpse of Lillie’s orange fur, feeling unregretfully relieved when my sight passes over her. Watching as Fara clings desperately to her sister, she keeps her eyes closed and head buried out of sight, just like Lillie had taught her time and time again. Realising that they’re both safe, I turn my head to look behind us and watch a blur of fur tumble towards the ground while a dark shadow attacks from above them.

“Ash,” I tug on my brother’s fur while crying out, urging him to stop and turn around, but to my dismay, he continues to ignore me while keeping his attention fixated on the opening up ahead.

Watching his eyes momentarily drift towards Lillie, my own widen in disbelief as I witness the pair exchange a questionable glance, almost as if they were silently agreeing not to stop just yet. Within a swift movement, I see another mystery attacker appear from behind the first, joining its comrade in the takedown of one of the fallen wolves. Within a few seconds, the bundle of fur stops moving and the twisted figures get up before continuing in their pursuit of the rest of us—causing the remaining wolves to disband, scattering in any direction that they can turn.

Terrifyingly, to my dismay, I notice more lurched silhouettes in the distance appear alongside the returning two as they chase behind, unrelenting their savage attack. As more desperate cries filled with pain and anguish disturb the night’s air, my body trembles uncontrollably as the unbearable fear builds inside. Unable to hold back, a steady stream of rolling tears rush down my burning face, hitting my quivering lip as I let out ushered sobs for those that were already lost. Unable to look away, my frantically searching eyes scan around for any nearing danger when my wolf ignites in another bellowing howl, warning me of something close by. With my attention snapping upwards, they flicker towards Lillie and Fara out of instinct when I notice a pale blur of hurtling movement heading directly for them.

“Lillie, look out,” I scream out at the top of my lungs, causing her to turn her head in its direction with no time to spare—watching as the ravenous creature tackles the unprepared pair down onto the ground in a heavy, breath-slapping crash.